Statue of Liberty This past weekend, my family and I visited two iconic American destinations, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. On the 2nd floor of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration is a room, which highlights the steps necessary to achieve citizenship in the United States. At one of the interactive displays was a sample citizenship test. The United States citizenship test is designed to evaluate a person’s English proficiency as well as their knowledge o

I received a card in the mail yesterday from a sweet friend. As I pulled the hand written note from its envelope, I was suddenly transported to a time void of social media and texting, a time of personal connections. Growing up, cards were sent to comfort, cheer, and console. At times, they were simply sent to say, "I was thinking of you today." Whatever the occasion, cards were a way to connect with others. Somewhere along the road to progress, we lost that skill. Many years

Stained glass at Washington Memorial Chapel My Mom was rather enterprising as I was growing up. In fact, it was not uncommon for her to learn a new skill only to make it profitable within a few months. From macrame to cross-stitch, my Mom was always engaged in a project and a sale. At one point, she even learned to do stained glass. Once again, she turned her talents into a small business. As her business was gaining traction, my Mom would occasionally drive to NYC to pick u

With intense heatwaves popping up across the country and around the globe, it's clear, the dog days of summer are upon us. Generally speaking, the dog days run between July 3rd and August 11th, kicking off some of the hottest, most humid days of the year. The term "dog days" actually hails from astronomy, not man's best friend. This period of intense heat corresponds with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star, which is part of the Canis Major constellation. The Dog Star seemed

In the months between 1st and 2nd grade, I moved from Germany to the United States. As the lazy days of summer gradually faded away, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would be starting a new school year in a new school. This would be my first experience attending school in America. It would also be my first experience with the ritual known as “back to school shopping”. With my grandparents now a mere 10 miles away rather than 3,000 miles away, I had plenty of exposure to th

Curtains are the quiet staples of any room, bringing a look together through color, style and texture. Oftentimes, the price of curtains can make them feel more like a luxury item then a decorating staple. Whenever I want to update my curtains without the designer price tag, I dust off my faithful sewing machine. Here are two easy curtain projects that I've done, which required minimal effort, minimal supplies and minimal talent. The Modified Shower Curtain When my husband an

From castles and canals to sand dunes and mountains, I have explored some of the most incredible locations in the world, which has greatly enriched my life. Yet, I distinctly remember rushing through the lower level of the Frankfurt Airport, many years ago. As my family and I navigated our way from one end of the airport to the other, I was hit by a very distinct scent. The more it wafted through the air, I was finally able to identify this familiar aroma as being none other

Our daughter at Fort McHenry, Maryland This July 4th, our nation will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which occurred in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 4th of 1776. With the unofficial start of summer over the Memorial Day weekend, unique and exciting patriotic events are taking place from coast to coast, as we usher in this semiquincentennial milestone of our nation. If you're lookin

Three years ago today, we lost our home to a fire. Without a home to call our own, our family of five bounced from one hotel to the next, but this was no vacation. In time, we were able to find a furnished house to rent, while our home was being rebuilt. During the nine and a half months that followed, it was a mad dash to replace the entirety of our home. That included all the items we lost in the fire from bedroom furniture to band-aids and everything in between. In April